Belt conveyer apparatus



May 27, 1958 w. MLLER 2,836,285

BELT coNvEYER APPARATUS Filed July 16, 1955 2,1 [-76.1 2a 1 FG.2

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United States Patent O BELT CoNvEYan APPARATUS Wilhelm Mller, Neuss (Rhine), Germany, assigner to Firma Continental Gummi-Werke Aktiengesellschaft, Hannover, Germany Application .'iaiy 16, 1953, Serial No. 368,47)

Claims priority, application Germany November 27, 1952 6 Claims. (Cl. 198-162) The present invention relates to conveyor apparatus.

More particularly, the present invention relates to belt conveyers, particularly of the type where a pair of belts are located opposite each other and hold the material being conveyed therebetween.

Belt conveyers of this type have several disadvantages. For one thing the cross section of the space between the belts undesirably decreases during turning of such belts about guide rolls, which results in compression of the conveyed material or undesirable stretching of one of the belts. Furthermore, where the belts are locked to each other, there is excessive wear at the locked portions of the belts particularly during turning of the beltsabout guide rolls and the like because of the tendency of the belts to move longitudinally with respect to each other during such turning. v

One of the objects of the present invention is to overcome the above drawbacks by releasably locking a pair of belts to each other in such a Way that the belts are free to 'move longitudinally with respect to each other. Thus, excessive wear of the belts at their locked portions is avoided and the life of the belts is very greatly increased.

A further object of the present invention is to construct the belts in such a way that they do not fold during turning about a guide roll and instead smoothly curve about a guide roll So as to maintain the cross section of the space between the belts constant during turning of the belts.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a means for automatically releasing the belts from each other andl locking the belts together.

With the above objects in view, the present invention mainly consists of a conveyer apparatus which includes a bottom belt having a top face and a pair of opposite side wall portions extending upwardly from this top face,

these side wall portions each having a top face located above the top face of the belt and these opposite side wall portions respectively extending along opposite side edges of this bottom belt. a bottom face located over and spaced from the top face of the bottom belt and has a pair of opposite side wall portions extending downwardly from this bottom face and each having a bottom face located beneath the bottom face of the top belt, and these opposite'side wall portions of the top belt extend along opposite side edges thereof. The bottom faces of the opposite side wall portions of the top belt engage and are located over the top faces of the opposite sidewall portions of the bottom belt. A releasable lock means releasably holds the top and bottom belts together at the opposite side wall portions thereof and permits lengthwise movement of the top and bottom belts with respect to each other. Y

The novel features which are Considered as characteristie for the invention 'are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together A top belt is provided with I 2,8%,285 Patented May 27, 1958 fice with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specic embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a transverse sectional view of a pair of belts constructed in accordance with the present invention and shown slightly spaced from each other;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View of the belts of Fig. 1 in their locked position with material being conveyed shown therebetween;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view of side edge portions of a pair of belts constructed differently from those of Figs. l and 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, transverse, partly sectional view showing the belts of Fig. 3 associated with a guide means therefor and showing how the belts are automatically locked or released;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, transverse, sectional view of side edge portions of another embodiment of belts constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, transverse, partly sectional view of the belts of Fig. 5 in association with guide rolls therefor and showing how the belts of Fig. 5 are released and locked;

Fig. 7 is a transverse, fragmentary, sectional view of the side edge portion of a locked belt;

Fig. 8 illustrates the belt portion of Fig. 7 when it is opened;

Fig. 9 shows still another embodiment of a side edge portion of a belt constructed in accordance with the present invention and shown in its locked condition;

Fig. l0 illustrates how the belt portion of Fig. 9 is opened; and

Fig. ll is a diagrammatic side view of a belt conveyor apparatus according to the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. l shows a pair of mating belts 1a and 2a constructed in accordance with the present invention. As is apparent from Fig. 1, these belts are substantially trough-shaped and are practically mirror images of each other. The belts are preferably made of an elasticpmaterial such as rubber or the like and the bottom belt 1a has a top face and a pair of opposite side wall portions 20- extending upwardly from the top face thereof and each having a top face located above the top face of belt 1a. Belt 2a has a bottom face located opposite the top face of belt 1a and a pair of opposite side wall portions 21 extending downwardly from this bottom face and each having a bottom face located beneath the bottom face of belt 2a. The belt 1a is adapted to engage driven guide rolls and is provided with one or more webs 3 of a substantially non-stretchable material such as a fabric or the like, these webs being embedded in the belt 1a.

As is apparent from Fig. 2, the bottom faces of opposite side wall portions 21 engage the top faces of opposite side Wall portions 2t), and the belts 1a and 2a are releasably locked to each other through the medium of elongated cutouts 4a formed in the opposite side wall portions 2l) and elongated projections 5a extending downwardly from the opposite side wall portions 21 and being located in the grooves 4a, as shown in Fig. 2. The projections 5a are longitudinally movable in the cutouts 4a, respectively, so'that the belts 1a and 2a are movable lengthwise with respect to each other, and in this way undesired stresses during turning of the belts about a guide roll are avoided so that the life of the belts is greatly increased.

Fig. 2 shows how the meeting surfaces of the belts 1a and 2a are located in a neutral plane substantially midway between the belts so that in this way also undesired stresses are avoided. As is evident from Figs. l and 2, the side wall portions 20 and 21 are less than three times a Vas thick as the belts and infact are approximately twice asV thickas the belts. Thus, during turning of the belts these side wall portions will notV form sharp folds and Ywill curve smoothly so that the cross section of the space includedbetweenthe belts remains substantially constant even during turning of the belts. Moreover, the disclosed construction of theside wall portions 20 and 21 insulate the releasable lock means 4a, 5a from bending stresses. In order to'load the belts with a rnaterialtrto be conveyed,as shown in Fig. 2, the top belt 2a either is entirely separated from the bottomY belt 1a or isreleased at only one side and turned .upwardly away from the belt 1a. The openingof the belts can be automatically produced by guiding the belts along different paths by changing- .path anda guide roll guides the top belt'2a onto the bottom belt 1a,Y and'at the point'where these belts meet, the projections a'snap into the cutouts 4a so that the releasablelock means 4a, 5a is automatically releasable and engageable. f 'Y 1 Q Such an arrangement as described above. is'schematically shown in Fig. ll, in which guide means or standard guide. rollers having the` length substantially the same as the width ofthe-beltsA 1a and 2a are used to guide the beltsbetween the rollers r1 overthe roller. r2 up toV the rollers r3 along the Vsame path. and the belt `1a Vfrom the rollers r3 over the rollers r4, rr5, and r6 toward the rollers 'r1 .over -a path dierent from the. path of Vthe'belt 2a.Y

The material is adapted tobe fed in the direction of the arrow..a` between the two belts 1a and 2a and to leave the beltl 1a in the direction ofthe arrows b as thefbelt turns over the roller r4. v Y Y Y Y The 'elongated projections 5aV and the grooves 4a Vmay be -of a'substantially circular cross section, as shown in Figs. land 2, or they may have the'shape of anY arrowhead, for example, in accordance with Vthe'force with which it is'desired to hold the belts together andthe desired force required to Yseparate the beltsY from each other.l As'was mentioned above, it is, however, best that projections 5a have a cross section which permits them to be longitudinally'movablein the cutouts 4a. 'Y According to the embodiment of the inventionV which isv shown in Figf, the top'beltV 2b which is otherwise identical with belt 2a, is provided with Yprojections 5b of aYsubstantiallyptrapezoidal cross section mating with elongated cutouts 4b which are also of trapezoidal cross section, as shown fragrnentarily in Fig. 3,- the opposite sideV of the belts which are not illustrated Vin* Fig'. '3 being Videntical with the'side shown rin Fig. 3. Q Y

Each of these Vbelts. has opposite bevelled side edges at its youter face, and Fig. 3 shows one of the bevelledside edges b of `belt-'2b and one of the bevelled side edges 2lb of belt 1b. As is'apparent'from Fig. 4 when'V the bottom belt 1b has its outer face 9 in engagement with a guide roll 8a and turns about'the latter, the bevelled edges22brcontact this guide roll to spread the cutouts 4b so 4that theyf release or engagethe projections 5b, 'and the same vis true of :thefouter face`19 of belt 2b when this facef 19 engages a guide roll `7`t cause Vth'e1bevelled edges 10b torengage the guide roll so as to turn the projections 5b Vto'the position shown in Fig. 4I Thus; if i`n the'posiferent paths the projections 5b are automatically released from the cutouts 4b.

According to the embodiment shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the' bottom belt 1c, corresponding to belts 1a and 1b, is provided with webs 11 of substantially non-stretchable material, such as a fabric,'fvor example, so that the stretchability of belt lcris materially reduced. As is evident from Figs. 5 and 6, the opposite sidewall portionsV of belt 1c are undercut at their outer side faces and the projections 23 extending downwardly from the opposite side wall portions of top belt 2c extend into the undercut portions of the sides of belt 1c to releasably lock the belts together. In this case, only the top belt 2c is provided with opposite bevelled edge portions 10c at itsouter face so as to turn the projections 23 to the position shown in Fig. 6 when the belts move aboutk guide rolls 7 and 8a so as to automatically release the belts Yfrorn'each other or automatically lock the belts to each other.

Y Fig. 7 shows'a cutout 4Q of belt 1d which is of Substantially same shape as cutout'4a of'belt 1a,'and Fig. 8 shows how a guide'roll 8b is provided with an annular projection 12 located opposite the cutout 4d to spread the latter during turningrof the belt 1d about the guide roll Sb'so that'the cutout 4d automatically releases or engages a projection of the` top'belt, and with thisrembodimentof.

the invention, it is unnecessary to provide bevelled edges at the outer faces .of either of the belts because the cutouts 4d are spread sufciently toV release or engage the Figs. 9 and lshow af' reversal of the arrangement of Figs.7 and 8, ind thatthe beltple .is itself providedwith an elongated projection` `12"located opposite eachY cutout 4e so as to spread the latter duringturning .of the belt.

about a guide. rollV 8a or the like, as shown in Fig. 10."A n In order toA further` reduce the great reduction of wear and friction produced'by the present invention, it is'possible to form'the cutoutsand projectionsof low friction tion shown in Fig: fthe beltsV arefjust starting to Ymove along the same path, the; projections Sli will automatically be located infthe cutoutsftb, andif the belts at theposition shown in Fig-4 are `just starting to-move along dif- 775. of said bottom belt and said .top belt havingapair of Y materials as by mixing parain or the Vvlike with the opposite side wall portions ofthe belts, or a friction Vreducing powder or the like may be spreadrinrthe cutouts/and ontheprojections. n ,y

VIt will be understood that Veachrof the elements described above, or two or more together, may also" ind a useful application in other types of belt V:onveye'r'appaV ratus differing from the types described above. Y A

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in automatically releasable .belt conveyer apparatus, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since Various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present'invention. Y Y,

Without further analysis, the foregoing `will so fully reveal the'gist of the present invention that others can by applying currentrknowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting Vfeatures that, from the:

standpoint of prior art, fairly rconstitute essential characteristics ofthe generic or specific yaspects of this invenf tion and, therefore, such adaptationsv should and -are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and Y l. Conveyer apparatus comprising, in combinatiomfa p bottom belt having a webof rectangular cross' section provided with a top facer and said belt having a pair of opposite sidewall portions extending upwardly from said topface `of .said web, each .having a topface'glocated above said top face .of .said belt, and said opposite side wall portions respectivelyV extending alonglopposite side edges` of said belt and having a height considerably shorter than the length of said web; a top belt having` a web ofk Y Y i rectangular cross section provided with Ya bottom face llocated over and spacedfrom said top face of said web opposite side wall portions extending downwardlyfrom bottom face of said web of said top belt, each having a bottom face located beneath said bottom farce of said top belt, and said opposite side wall portions of said top belt extending along opposite side edges thereof, said bottom faces of said opposite side wall portions of said top belt engaging and being located over said top faces of said opposite side wall portions of said bottom belt, and said belts defining an elongated `chamber of substantially rectangllar cross section when said side wall portions of said top belt engage said side wall portions of said bottom belt; and releasable lock means releasably holding said top and bottom belts together at said opposite side wall portions thereof and permitting lengthwise movement of said top and bottom belts with respect to each other.

2. Conveyor apparatus comprising, in combination, a bottom belt having a web of rectangular cross section provided with a top face and said belt having a pair of opposite side wall portions extending upwardly from said top face, each having a top face located above said top face of said web, and said opposite side wall portions respectively extending along opposite side edges of said belt; a top belt having a web of rectangular cross section provided with a bottom face located over and spaced from said top face of said web of said bottom belt and said top belt having a pair of opposite side wall portions extending downwardly from bottom face, each having a bottom face located beneath said bottom face of said web of said top belt, and said opposite side wall portions of said top belt extending along opposite side edges thereof, said bottom faces of said opposite side wall portions of said top belt engaging and being located over said top faces of said opposite side wall portions of said bottom belt, and said belts defining an elongated chamber of substantially rectangular cross section when said side wall portions of said top belt engage said side wall portions' of said bottom belt; releasable lock means releasably holding said top and bottom belts together at said opposite side wall portions thereof and permitting lengthwise movement of said top and bottom belts with respect to each other, said releasable lock means comprising a pair of cutouts respectively forming part of said opposite side wall portions of one of said belts and a pair of projecting portions respectively forming part of said opposite side Wall portions of the other of said belts and respectively extending into said cutouts; guide means for guidl ing said belts partly along the same path and partly along different paths; and means for automatically releasing said belts from each other by deforming said opposite side wall portions of at least said one belt for spreading said cutouts to automatically release said projecting portion without pulling from said cutouts when said belts begin to move along said different paths so that said belts are automatically released from each other when they begin to move along said different paths.

3. Conveyer apparatus comprising, in combination, a bottom belt having a web of rectangular cross section provided with a top face and said belt having a pair of opposite side Wall portions extending upwardly from said top face, each having a top face located above said top face of said web, and said opposite side wall portions respectively extending along opposite side edges of said belt; a top belt having a web of rectangular cross section provided with a bottom face located over and spaced from said top face of said web of said bottom belt and said top belt having a pair of opposite side wall portions extending downwardly from bottom face, each having a bottom face located beneath said bottom face of said web of said top belt, and said opposite side wall portions of said top belt extending along opposite side edges thereof, said bottom faces of said opposite side wall portions of said top belt engaging and being located over said top faces of said opposite side wall portions of said bottom belt, and said belts defining an elongated chamber of substantially rectangular cross section when said spaanse side wall portions of said top belt engage said side wall portions of said bottom belt; releasable lock means releasably holding said top and bottom belts together at said opposite side wall portions thereof and permitting lengthwise movement of said top and bottom belts with respect to each other, said releasable lock means comprising a pair of -cutouts respectively forming part of said opposite side wall portions of one of said belts and -a pair of projecting portions respectively forming part of said opposite side Wall portions of the other of said belts and respectively extending into said cutouts; guide means for guiding said belts partly along the same path and partly along different paths; and means for automatically releasing said belts from each other when they begin to move along said different paths and without pulling said projecting portions from said cutouts, respectively, and for automatically locking said belts together when they begin to move along said same path and without pushing said projecting portions into said cutouts, respectively, said means for automatically releasing and locking said belts comprising bevelled opposite side edge portions of said one belt located at the face thereof distant from said other belt and -engaging a guide roll, forming part of said guide means, during turning movement about said `guide roll to spread said rcutouts so as to automatically release or engage said projecting portions of said other belt.

4. Conveyer apparatus comprising, in combination, a bottom belt having a web of rectangular cross section provided with a top face and said belt having a pair of opposite side wall portions extending upwardly from said top face, each having a top face located above said top face of said web, and said opposite side wall portions respectively extending along opposite side edges of said belt; a top belt having a web of rectangular cross section provided with a bottom face located over and spaced from said top face of said web of said bottom belt and said top belt having a pair of `opposite side wall port tions extending downwardly from bottom face, each having a bottom face located beneath said bottom face of said web of said top belt, and said opposite side Wall portions of said top belt extending along opposite side edges thereof, said bottom faces of said opposite side wall portions of said top belt engaging and being located over said top faces of said opposite side wall portions of said |bottom belt, and said belts defining an elongated chamber of substantially rectangular cross section when said side Wall portions or" said top belt engage said side wall portions of said bottom belt; releasable lock means releasably holding said top and bottom belts together at said opposite side wall portions thereof and permitting lengthwise movement of said top and bottom lbelts with respect to each other, said releasable lock means comprising a pair of cutouts respectively forming part of said opposite side Wall portions of one of said belts and a pair of projecting portions respectively forming part of said opposite side wall portions' of the other of said belts and respectively extending into said cutouts; guide means for guiding said belts partly along the same path and partly along different paths; and means for automatically releasing said belts from each yother when they begin to move along said different paths and without pulling said projecting portions from said cutouts, respectively, and for automatically locking said belts together when they begin to move along said same path and without pushing said projecting portions into said cutouts, respectively, said means for automatically releasing and locking said belts comprising a pair of additional projecting portions extending from the `face of said one belt distant from said other belt, being located opposite said cutouts lof said one belt, and engaging a guide roll forming part of said guide means for spreading said cutouts during turning of said one belt about said guide roll.

5. Conveyer apparatus comprising, in combination, a

Y i7 bottom belt Vmade of an elastic material and having a Vtop face anda pair of oppositeside wall portions extend, ing upwardly lfrom said top face, eachfhavinga top' face located above said top face of said belt, and said'opposite side,wall portions respectively extending along oppo- Y site side edges-of said belt; atop belt made of an elasticV material and having a bottom face'located over and spaced from` said top face of said bottom belt and hav- `ing a pairof opposite side wall portions extendingdown-V Wardly from bottom face, each having `a bottom face located `beneathsaid bottom face of said top belt, and said opposite side Wallportions of said top belt extending along opposite side edges thereof, said bottomtaces of saidopposite side wall portions of said top belt engag-r ing and being located over said toprfaces nof said opposite sidewall portions of said bottom belt; releasable lock means releasably holding said top and bottom beltsV together at said opposite side wall portions thereof and permitting lengthwise movement of said top and bottom belts with respect to each other, said releasable lock means comprising a pair of cutouts' respectively forming part yof said opposite side wall portions of one of said cally' releasing and locking said belts comprising a pair to move alongV saidsame path, said means for automati of. rn'iinl'aiif'p rojections" Y'extending from 'the outer IsurfaceV of a guidelrllforming part of Ysaid/guide means and eri-1 gaging'f said one belt," said annular projections being lo: c'at'd'oppo'sitesaid cututs of saidone belt'tospread'sa'id cutoutsduringl,trningsaid one belt about said guiderolll Y6.l Conveyerpp'aratus comprisingrincombination, a pair of `trough-shaped belts each dening :alchfnnel of substantially rectangular cross section and each having inner and `outer faces and being 'arranged'with'fsaid inner faces thereof confronting each other, one of said belts havingY opposite side wall portions vengaging opposite side wall portions of the other of said belts, and said oppo-` Vside side"wall portions of said one belt beingjformedY with elongated cutouts respectively extendingalo'ng the same, said opposite side Wall portions of ys'aid'othrbelt having undercut outer lSide faces and extending into said cutouts, respectively, said one belt having opposite, b ev-`4 elled side Yedge portionsat'its outer face adapted to engage a guide roll to spread said cutouts of 'saidone belt to release or receive said opposite' side wall portions ofY said other belt.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Y A *w- Iohns f Sept.,3, 1935.

2,013,242 2,200,262 Daley May 14, 1940 

